Hydrant.



No. 7I3,95l.

'(No Model.

Patented Nov. l8, I902. c, L. BURKHABT.

HYDR ANT.

(Application filed June a, 190m F IINVENTOH (Zafleslfizmtkart 4 BY 9'ATT UNITED STATES CHARLES LLOYD BURKHART, OF DAYTON, WASHINGTON,ASSIGNOR OF PATENT OFFICE.

ONE-HALF TO JOHN W. MCLAOHLAN, OF DAYTON, WASHINGTON.

HYDRANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 713,951, dated November18, 1902.

Application filed June 3, 1902. Serial No. 110,049. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES LLOYD BURK- HART, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Dayton,i'n the county of Columbia and State ofWashington, have invented a new and Improved Hydrant, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates particularly to lawnhydrants.

The purpose of the invention is to provide such a hydrant with a tubularpiston capable of rotary and vertical movement and to so construct thebody of the hydrant and its piston that when the piston is in an upperposition it will permit the water to flow uninterruptedly to thedischarge end of the piston and to the hose connected at such point andso that when the piston is in its lowest position the supply of waterwill be cut off and the pressure of water will serve to hold the pistonin its cut-off position until purposely removed therefrom.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a means whereby thepiston is rendered self-draining,and the hydrantis consequentlyantifreezing, and a construction whereby the hose may be carried to anypoint in a circular direction without altering the flow of water orrupturing the hose where it is connected with the hydrant.

Another purpose of the invention is to so construct the hydrant thatwhen not in use it will be out of the way of a lawn-mower and so thatthe hydrant can be disconnected from the source of water-supply wheneverdesired without disturbing its surrounding casing.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the improved hydrant set up andthe casing for the same. Fig.2 is an enlarged vertical central sectionthrough the detached lower portion of the body of the hydrant. Fig. 3 isa plan View of the bottom portion of the hydrant-body, and Fig. 4 is abottom plan view of the piston.

A represents a casing, which may be built of any suitable material, andsaid casing extends from the water-supply pipe A toa point at or near orslightly above the surface of the ground, as may be desired. Thiscasingmay have a shelf or cover therein to prevent leaves and trash fromfalling into the bottom portion of the casing. The water-supply pipe Ais provided with a coupling 10, shown in the form of a T, but which maybe an L, if desired, and said coupling is located at about the centrallower portion of the casing A. Through the medium of this coupling thehydrant, to be hereinafter described, is connected with the saidwater-supply pipe, as is clearly shownin Fig. 1.

The body of the hydrant is constructed in two sectionsan upper section Band a lower section B. The upper section consists of a lower member 11,an upper member 12, and an intermediate member 13, all of said membersbeing circular in cross-section. lower member 11 is of greater diameterthan the upper member 12, while the intermediate member 13 inclinesupwardly and inwardly from the lower to the upper member, as is alsoshown in Fig. 1.

An interior thread 14 is produced at the lower end of the lower member11 of the body of the hydrant, and exteriorly near the upper end of theupper member 12 of the hydranta nut 15 is formed. Above the nut 15 theupper member 12 of the hydrant-body is provided with an exterior threadto receive a packing-nut 16, through which packing-nut a tubular piston17 is snugly passed down into the lower member 11 of the said uppersection B of the hydrant-body, asfis also shown in Fig. 1.

The lower section B of the hydrant-body consists of a tapering orsomewhat conical base 18, (shown in Figs.l and 2,) and near the lowerportion of the base 18 an exterior nut 22 is provided. Below the nut anexteriorlythreaded collar 23 is formed, the interior of which collarconstitutes a water-chamber, as this collar 23 is screwed into thecoupling 10 on the water-supply pipe A, as is illustrated in Fig. 1.

The

The upper surface of the lower section B of the body is preferably flat,and near the periphery of the upper portion of the said lower section Bof the hydrant-body an upright annular flange 19 is formed, exteriorlythreaded, so that the lower section B of the hydrant may be screwed intothe lower end of the bottom member of the upper section B of said body,and centrally upon the upper surface of the lower section B of thehydrantbody an upright circular shell 20 is formed integral with theupper surface of the bottom body-section B, and this shell constitutes acylinder for the head of the piston 17. This cylinder 20 extends somedistance up beyond the flange 19 sufficiently to have its upper portionnear the inclined intermediate member of the upper section B of the bodywhen the two sections B and B are brought together, as shown in Fig. 1,and in order that the head of the piston may be conveniently guided intothe cylinder 20 the inner face 21 of said cylinder at its top isinclined upwardly and outwardly, and the upper end of the cylinder isentirely open.

Water-supply passages 24 are produced in the base 18 of the lowersection B of the hydrant, and these water-passages extend from thechamber formed by the collar 23 diagonally upward from the lower surfaceofthe said base member 18 of the lower section B of the .hydrant at apoint between the cylinder 20 and the flange 19, as is shown in Figs. 1and 3. A drainage-passage 25 is horizontally produced in the base member'18 of the lower body-section B, and this drainage-passage 25, which isadapted to take off the water from the piston 17 when said piston cutsoff the supply of water, is connected with a central chamber 26,produced in the base 18 of the lower section of the body, as is bestshown in Fig. 2. This chamber 26 extends to the top of the base 18 andreceives an exteriorlythreaded capped bushing 27, having lugs 28 at itsupper surface at opposite sides of a central opening 29 therein, and thestem 30 of a valve 31 extends upward through the opening 29, the body ofthe valve being within the bushing 27 and is normally held to close theopening 29 through the medium of a spring 32, extending from the bottomof the chamber26 to an engagement with the under surface of the valve31.

The lugs 28 on the bushing 27 facilitate securing the bushing in placeand likewise serve in a measure to protect the stem 30 of the valve 31.

An annular enlargement 33 is formed at the lower end of the piston 17,as is best shown in Fig. 1, and this enlarged portion of the pistonisinteriorly threaded to receive an exteriorly-threaded collar carriedupward from a disk-head 34, which in a measure closes the lower end ofthe piston 17; but this disk-head 34 is provided with a central lug 35on its under surface, adapted for engagement with the stem 30 of therelief-valve 31 when the piston is in its lowest position, and at suchtime any water that may be in the piston will drain out therefromthrough openings 36, produced in the disk-head 34, which water will findits way to the opening 29, then uncovered by the valve 31, and to thedrainage-passage 25. Thus as no water will remain in the piston shouldthe hydrant be used in winter there is but little danger of itsfreezing.

A washer 37, preferably of hard rubber, is located between the bottomend of the p ston and its disk-head 34, and ordinarily spurs areproduced on the said disk-head to enter the said washer or gasket, sothat the head will not become unscrewed when the piston 17 is turnedaround in the body-as, for example, when a hose is to be connected withthe piston or is to be removed therefrom or when the hose is moved fromplace to place, at which time the piston 17 turns also. When the pistonreaches its lowest position, it engages with an elastic cushion 38,located at the bottom of the cylinder 20, and this cushion serves torelieve the piston from shock on its downward movement and also servesto make a water-tight connection between the head of the piston and thelower section of the hydrant-body.

At the upper end of the piston 17 a section of pipe 39 is suitablycoupled to the piston, and this section of pipe may be of any suitablelength, and at the upper end of this section of pipe 39 an elbow 40 issecured, the male thread 41 of which is uppermost, and upon this threadthe hose-coupling is screwed. This elbow 40 is below the upper end ofthe casing A, so that it will not offer an obstruction to the passage ofalawn-mower over the lawn, for example.

In operation when the hydrant is to be used the piston is drawn upwarduntil its head-section is carried out from the cylinder 20, whereuponthe water which is always contained in the body will pass upward throughthe openings 36 in the disk-head of the piston and will find its way tothe hose connected with the piston. As the hose is moved around on thelawn the piston moves also, so that the hose can be taken convenientlyfrom place to place without danger of kinking where it connects with thehydrant and without danger of the supply of water being cut 0% orlessened.

When the hydrant is not in use, the piston is forced downward until itis seated on the base 18 of the lower section B of the body, and at suchtime, since the gasket 37 fits closely to the inner wall of the cylinder20, water cannot enter the piston 17, and the pressure of the water inthe body operating upon the head-section of the piston serves to holdthe piston in its lower or cut-off position. As stated, when the pistonis in its lowest position the relief-valve 31 is opened and all waterwill drain out from the piston.

When a hydrant is constructed as above set forth, it may be readilyremoved from connection with the water-sup ply Without injuring thecasing A, as it is simply necessary to remove the elbow 40 and slip asuitable tool down over the piston to an engagement with the nut 15 atthe upper portion of the body, and upon turning the said instrument ortool the body will be unscrewed from the coupling 10.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a hydrant, a body, means for con necting saidbody with a source of water-supply, a cylinder within the body, closedat its lower end and open at its upper end, the water-supply enteringthe said body around the said cylinder, and a tubular piston having anapertured head section adapted for vertical movement in the cylinder,the piston being also capable of rotary movement in the body, for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a hydrant, a body, means for connecting said body with a source ofwater-supply, a cylinder within the body, closed at its lower end andopen at its upper end, the water-supply entering the said body aroundthe said cylinder, a tubular piston having an apertured head-sectionadapted for vertical movement in the cylinder, the piston being alsocapable of rotary movement in the body, a relief-valve located in thebody and unseated by the piston when in its lowest position, and adrainage-passage connected with the reliefvalve, whereby the water fromthe piston is automatically discharged when the piston is in its lowestor cut-oft position, as set forth.

3. In a hydrant, the combination with a body having one continuouschamber, said body being provided with means for attachment to a sourceof water-supply, and with water-passages leading from the water-supplyto the bottom portion of the chamber of the body, a cylinder open at thetop and located in the bottom portion of the chamber of the body, thewater-inlet passages entering the said chamber between said cylinder andthe outer wall of the chamber, of a tubular piston having vertical androtary movement in the hose with the upper end of the piston, as setforth.

4:. In a hydrant, the combination with a body provided with a continuouschamber and a base having means for attachment to a water-supply pipe, acylinder located within the said chamber, being secured to the centralportion of the bottom thereof, said cylinder being open at the top andsaid base of the body being provided with water-inlet passages leadingto the space between the cylinder and the wall of the body-chamber,thebase being also provided with a central chamber having an opening at thecentral-portion of the base within the cylinder, a drainage-passageconnected with the base-chamber, and a spring-controlled valve locatedwithin said chamber and arranged to normally close the upper opening ofthe same, of a tubular pis-- ton having sliding and rotary movement inthe said body, the piston being provided at its lower end with a packingfor engagement with the inner wallof the cylinder, and a head providedwith apertures extending through it and in communication with theinterior of the piston, whereby when the piston is in its lowestposition the valve in the base is opened and the water in the cylinderis discharged, and the pressure of the water inthe body serves to holdthe piston in its lowest position, and whereby when the piston iscarried out from the cylinder the water in the body is free to flow outthrough the piston, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES LLOYD BURKHART.

Witnesses:

J. FRANK PORTER, J. A. MAOLAOHLAN.

